Summer Reading Games @ MRL to Begin Monday, June 2

Registration for the Summer Reading Games begins June 2 at any of the seven Massanutten Regional Library locations. Upon registration, each participating child, 0-17 years of age, will receive a WaterPark ticket, a Free Friday wristband, a gameboard, and instructions for winning prizes with regular reading.

The WaterPark ticket will once again allow a reading participant one free entry to Massanutten WaterPark during Library WaterPark Week, June 8-12 during twilight hours, 5-10 pm. The WaterPark does emphasize that the outside area of the park closes at 7 pm, so families will want to utilize their admission time appropriately. WaterPark Week serves as a kick-off for Massanutten Regional Library’s Summer Reading Games. If a child is under 12, he or she must be accompanied by an adult at the WaterPark, and if the child is under 5 an adult must be within arm’s reach. Outside food and drink are not allowed. For the first time, Massanutten WaterPark is offering an optional upgrade to full day admission for $10 available at the time of entry.

Local businesses have also contributed to the library system’s Free Fridays. The Harrisonburg Turks, Mulligan’s Golf Center, Luray Caverns, Valley Lanes, Funky’s Skate Center, Shenandoah National Park, and Ryan’s Orchard are returning to the line-up to offer free admissions to summer readers. This year’s program offers three new venues: Court Square Theater, which is offering free admission to one of three showings of the Barefoot Puppets; White Oak Lavender Farm, offering free admission to the farm; and Putter A Round, offering a free round of mini golf. The Free Friday wristband serves as the admission ticket to all Free Friday events. More details are available on the 2014 Summer Reading Games bookmark or on the library website.

Other activities for Summer Reading Games include the Harrisonburg Turks Baseball Team reading stories at the Main Library on Thursday, June 12, 11 am. Andy the Armadillo from Texas Roadhouse will be on hand at Main on Thursday, June 26, 11 am, for a special storytime session.

Chick-fil-A Cow will make a visit to Village Library, Broadway, Thursday, June 12, 10:30 am and to Grottoes Branch Library Wednesday, July 2, 1 pm. The Chick-fil-A Cow will also travel to North River Library, Bridgewater, Thursday, July 3, 11 am, and to the Main Library on Thursday, July 17, 11 am.

Regular K-5 storytimes and Crafty Kids activities at each MRL branch are offered throughout the summer. In addition, each MRL branch offers Lego Club and Main is also offering Dogs 2 Read 2. Check the Summer Reading Games brochure for the schedule at each MRL branch.

Also scheduled for Summer Reading Games is the production of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, based on the book by Jon Scieszka, and performed by Roanoke Children’s Theatre, and the finale party featuring Sciencetellers. Separate news stories with dates and times will be released, or consult your Summer Reading Games brochures and bookmarks.

Two special events for teens, ages 11-17, have been organized. The first, a book swap, allows teens to swap books from their personal collections for others. During the week of June 7-13 teens may drop off books they have read and for each book they will receive a ticket. Teens may then return to the library at the end of the week to swap the tickets for new books! The Swap Day for Grottoes Branch Library will be Friday, June 13 and for the Main Library on Saturday, June 14.

The second event being held at the Main Library is a Happy Birthday, Harry Potter Party! Teens are invited to celebrate Harry Potter’s birthday, Thursday, July 31, 6:30-8:30 pm, with fun crafts, games and snacks. Don’t forget to dress like your favorite Harry Potter character.

The Summer Reading Games are established to continue improving reading skills and literacy. These library events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact any branch of MRL or MRL’s website, www.mrlib.org.